Determination of biogenic halogenated methyl-phenyl ethers (halogenated anisoles) in the picogram m(-3) range in air

Halogenated anisoles (methyl-phenyl ethers) appear to be ubiquitous organic trace compounds in the environment. An analytical method is presented for analyzing the altogether 134 congeners of chloro-, bromo- and mixed bromochloro-anisoles on an isomer-specific basis in air. High volume sampling (20 m(3) per hour) is carried out by adsorption, using a mixture of silica gel 60 and ENVI-Carb. The preseparation of the anisoles is achieved by NP-LC on Florisil (a magnesium silicate). The interference by volatile n-alkyl nitrates in the electron-capture detection can be avoided by a LC-preseparation on a carboneous phase. The isomer-specific separation and detection is performed by HRGC-ECD and HRGC-MS-SIM. A structure-specific systematic numbering of the 134 congeners of the chloro-, bromo- and bromochloro-anisoles is suggested. The retention data are given of 16 chloroanisoles, 10 bromoanisoles and 27 bromo-chloroanisoles on three stationary phases with different polarity.